The climate of the mountains is a temperate Mediterranean. Summers are mostly dry but for the occasional thunderstorm, and winters comparatively cold and wet. Snowfall is infrequent due to the relatively low elevations of mountains within this range, with only the few tallest peaks regularly receiving snowfall during the winter.

The Ridge Route, a landmark two-lane highway that connected Los Angeles to the rest of California, was built along the western flank of the mountain range and was completed in 1915. It was later bypassed by the Ridge Route Alternate (US 99) in 1930, itself superseded by Interstate 5 completed in 1971.